Ebe W. Tunnell

Infobox Officeholder
honorific-prefix =
name = Ebe W. Tunnell
honorific-suffix =


imagesize =
small

office = Governor of Delaware
term_start = January 19 1897
term_end = January 15 1901
predecessor = William T. Watson
successor = John Hunn
birth_date = birth date|1844|12|31|mf=y
birth_place = Ocean View, Delaware
death_date = death date and age|1917|12|13|1844|12|31
death_place = Lewes, Delaware
spouse =
party = Democratic
residence = Lewes, Delaware
alma_mater =
occupation = merchant
profession =
religion = Presbyterian

Ebe Walter Tunnell (December 31 1844 – December 13 1917) was an American merchant and politician from Lewes, in Sussex County, Delaware. He was a member of the Democratic Party, who served in the Delaware General Assembly and as Governor of Delaware.

Early life and family

Tunnell was born December 31 1844 at Blackwater, near Clarksville, now Ocean View, Sussex County, Delaware, son of Nathaniel and Maria Walters Tunnell. After attending the public schools at Milford, Delaware and Lewes, he ran the Blackwater general store started by his grandfather. Moving to Lewes in 1872, he operated a drug and hardware business there. He was one of only two Governors who never married and was a member of the Lewes Presbyterian Church.

Governor of Delaware

Tunnell was a member of the Delaware House of Representatives in the 1871/72 session and Clerk of the Peace for Sussex County from 1885 through 1890. He was the unsuccessful Democratic Party candidate for Governor of Delaware in 1894, losing to the Republican Party candidate, Joshua H. Marvil. Two years later, in 1896, he was elected Governor, defeating the Union (Addicks) Republican Party candidate, James R. Hoffecker, and the regular Republican Party candidate John C. Higgins. He served one term as Governor from January 19 1897 until January 15 1901.

During his term of office the present State Constitution, the Delaware Constitution of 1897 was written and adopted. It provided some additional representation for New Castle County in the Delaware General Assembly, but actually reduced the representation of Wilmington which by then was the most populous part of Delaware. Among many other changes it created the office of Lieutenant Governor, allowed Governors to be elected to a second term and gave him the veto, reduced judge's terms from life to twelve years, and eliminated the poll tax. It was also during his term that the General Incorporation Law was passed, creating the favorable business environment that has resulted in Delaware becoming the preferred place in the U.S. for companies to incorporate.

{|class=wikitable style="width: 94%" style="text-align: center;" align="center"
-bgcolor=#cccccc!colspan=12 style="background: #ccccff;" |Delaware General Assembly
"(sessions while Governor)"
-!Year!Assembly!!Senate Majority!Speaker!!House Majority!Speaker
-
1897-1898
89th|
Party shading/Democratic |Democratic
Party shading/Democratic |Hezekiah Harrington|
Party shading/Democratic |Democratic
Party shading/Democratic |Emery B. Riggin
-
1899-1900
90th|
Party shading/Democratic |Democratic
Party shading/Democratic |Charles M. Salmon|
Party shading/Republican |Republican
Party shading/Republican |Theodore F. Clark
-
###@@@KEYEND@@@###

Death and legacy

After his term ended, Tunnell returned to Lewes, where he became President of the Farmers' Bank of Delaware, a director of the Delaware, Maryland and Virginia Railroad, and owner of the "Delaware Pilot". He died December 13 1917 at Lewes, Delaware, and is buried there, in the Lewes Presbyterian Church Cemetery.

Almanac

Elections are held the first Tuesday after November 1st. Members of the Delaware General Assembly took office the first Tuesday of January. State Representatives have a two year term. The Governor takes office the third Tuesday of January and has a four year term.

{|class=wikitable style="width: 94%" style="text-align: center;" align="center"
-bgcolor=#cccccc!colspan=7 style="background: #ccccff;" | Public Offices
-! Office! Type! Location! Elected! Term began! Term ended! notes
-Party shading/Anti-Jacksonian
State Representative
Legislature
Dover
1870
January 3 1871
January 7 1873|
-Party shading/Anti-Administration
Clerk of the Peace
Executive
Georgetown|
1885
1890
Sussex County
-Party shading/Anti-Jacksonian
Governor
Executive
Dover
1896
January 19 1897
January 15 1901|
###@@@KEYEND@@@###

{|class=wikitable style="width: 94%" style="text-align: center;" align="center"
-bgcolor=#cccccc!colspan=7 style="background: #ccccff;" |Delaware General Assembly "service"
-! Dates! Assembly! Chamber! Majority! Governor! Committees! District
-Party shading/Democratic
1871-1872
76th
State House
Democratic
James Ponder|
Sussex "at-large"
###@@@KEYEND@@@###

{|class=wikitable style="width: 94%" style="text-align: center;" align="center"
-bgcolor=#cccccc!colspan=12 style="background: #ccccff;" |Election results
-!Year!Office!!Subject!Party!Votes!%!!Opponent!Party!Votes!%
-
1894
Governor|
Party shading/Democratic |Ebe W. Tunnell
Party shading/Democratic |Democratic
Party shading/Democratic |18,659
Party shading/Democratic |47%|
Party shading/Republican |Joshua H. Marvil
Party shading/Republican |Republican
Party shading/Republican |19,880
Party shading/Republican |50%
-
1896
Governor|
Party shading/Democratic |Ebe W. Tunnell
Party shading/Democratic |Democratic
Party shading/Democratic |15,507
Party shading/Democratic |44%|
Party shading/Republican |James R. Hoffecker
John C. Higgins
Party shading/Republican |Union Republican
Republican
Party shading/Republican |11,014
7,154
Party shading/Republican |31%
20%
###@@@KEYEND@@@###

References

*cite book |title = History of the State of Delaware |last= Conrad |first= Henry C. |coauthors= |work= |publisher= Wickersham Company |location= Lancaster, Pennsylvania |pages= |year= 1908 |id=
*cite book |title= Democracy in Delaware |last= Hoffecker |first= Carol E. |coauthors= |work= |publisher= Cedar Tree Books |location= Wilmington, Delaware |pages= |year= 2004 |id= ISBN 1-892142-23-6
*cite book |title= A History of Delaware Through its Governors |last= Martin |first= Roger A. |coauthors= |work= |publisher= McClafferty Press |location= Wilmington, Delaware |pages= |year= 1984 |id=
*cite book |title= Memoirs of the Senate |last= Martin |first= Roger A. |coauthors= |work= |publisher= Roger A. Martin |location= Newark, Delaware |pages= |year= 1995 |id=

=

* [http://www.state.de.us/research/Tour/information/Governors/govs-28.shtml Hall of Governors Portrait Gallery] "Portrait courtesy of Historical and Cultural Affairs, Dover."

External links

* [http://www.nga.org/portal/site/nga/menuitem.29fab9fb4add37305ddcbeeb501010a0/?vgnextoid=817b224971c81010VgnVCM1000001a01010aRCRD&vgnextchannel=e449a0ca9e3f1010VgnVCM1000001a01010aRCRD Ebe W. Tunnell at the "Biographical Directory of the Governors of the United States"]
* [http://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/tuckerman-turnbull.html#RKD0IKXEI Ebe W. Tunnell at the "Political Graveyard"]
*Find A Grave|id=10985537
* [http://www.russpickett.com/history/delgov3.htm#etunnell Ebe W. Tunnell at "Delaware’s Governors"]

Places with more information

* [http://www.hsd.org/ Historical Society of Delaware] , 505 Market St., Wilmington, Delaware [phone]
* [http://www.lib.udel.edu/ University of Delaware Library] , 181 South College Ave., Newark, Delaware [phone]